Player piano



Filed Jun 23, 1920 INVENTOR woe 1% 2 //ul/er,

BY Am ATTORNEY Patented July 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH P. HULDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIT PLAYER ACTIONCO., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PLAYER PIANO.

Application filed June 23, 1920. Serial No. 391,080.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. HULDER,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, countyof Bronx, and

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPlayer Pianos of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to player-piano mechanisms and particularly tothe operative connections between the striker pneumatics of the playerand the hammer-actions of the piano.

The spacing of the scale, that is the grouping of the strings andhammer-actions,

varies in different makes of pianos and accordingly it has beennecessary, heretofore, to provide a specially constructed playermechanism for each particular make. One'of the objects of this inventionis to provide a player mechanism which is adaptable for attachment toany make of piano by means of a simple and easily effected adjustment ofthe connecting portions.

A further object is to provide means, accessible from the front of thepiano case, for regulating the stroke and touch of the player mechanismto the requirements of the piano action.

I attain these objects, as well as others not specifically mentioned, bythe novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts, hereinafter more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating a conventional embodiment ofmy invention,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of portions of a player mechanism and apiano action, showing the operative connection. between said parts andthe regulating means; and, Fig. 2 is a plan view indicating the mannerof adjusting the player mechanism to the spacing of the scale of thepiano action.

The construction and operation .of pneumatic player mechanisms and ofpiano actions are well known to those skilled in the art and thereforein this specification I shall show and describe only such portions ofthose parts as are necessary clearly to understand the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, in which similar reference charactersindicate corresponding parts, 1 is a hammer-jack, 2 a

Q wippen, 3 an abstract, and 4: a key lever of an ordinary piano action.In carrying out my invention the abstract is provided with a projectinglug 5 for engagement with the operative connection of the playermecnamsm.

The player mechanism includes a striker pneumatic 6, a valve box 7, anda windchest 8 of any suitable construction. These portions of the playermechanism are preferably located in the front part of the pianocase andabove the key-levers. It is to be understood that the pneumatics may bearranged in tiers, as is usual in such mechanisms, to permit of theiraccommodation within the piano-case.

The operative connections between the player mechanism and the pianoaction comprise a series of compound levers, one for each strikerpneumatic, each preferably consisting. ofa pair of arms 9 and 11 and anintermediate piece 10. The arm 9 is connectedat its inner end by a rod12 with the movable wall of its companion striker pneumatic 6 and it isfulcrumed as at 13 in a bracket 14 depending from a channeled supportingrail 15 which rail extends lengthwise of the piano case. The piece 10 isformed with ears 16 extending on opposite sides of the arm 9 andpivotally secured thereto by a pin 17. The arm 11 carries at its innerend a finger 18 which engages the lug 5 and it has its forward endslotted or forked as at 19. A set screw 20, which enters the slot 19, isprovided for securing the arm 11 to the underside of the piece 10 and topermit of radially adjusting said arm to conform to the spacing of thescale of the piano, as shown in Fig. 2.

The player mechanism herein described can be manufactured as a separateunit and is adapted to be applied to any make of piano by providing thepiano action with lugs 5 and adjusting the position of the lever arms 11to conform to the scale of the piano. Various makes of pianos differsomewhat in the spacing or grouping of the strings comprising the scaleand according to my invention I am enabled to produce a player which canbe manufactured of standard and interchangeable parts and which is ofuniversal application to all makes of pianos.

Means for adjusting the stroke of each striker pneumatic is providedconsisting of a finger 21 carried on the arm 9 and projecting upwardlythrough a slot 22 in the rail 15. A regulating screw 23. carrying a stopat its inner end is threaded through the front wall of the channeledportion of the rail 15 in position to limit the throw of the finger 21.By turning thescrew 23 the movement of the arm 9 and of its connectedstriker pneumatic may be controlled as required. An adjusting screw 24is threaded through the rear end of the arm 9 and abuts against theupper surface of the piece 10*. An expanding spring 25 is provided tomaintain the piece 10in contact with the foot of the regulatingscrew 24.Said regulating screw permits of vertically adjusting the arm 11 toaccommodate the position of the lug 5 on the abstract.

Itwill be understood that various changes and modifications may be madein the struc-' ture' hereinabove described without departing from thespirit and scopeof my invention.'

'flVhat I claim is j 1, In a player-piano, the combination with astriker pneumatic and a piano-action including an abstract, of anoperative connection, between said parts comprising an arm fulcrumedintermediate its ends in a fixed. support, a rigid element connectingthe rear end of the armwith the movable wall of the-pneumatic, aco-acting member I disposed under the forward end of said arm andpivotally attached thereto, a second arm having a slot in its forwardend and having its rear end acting on theabstract, a fastener enteringthe slot and attaching the last mentioned arm to the underside of theintermediate member to permit of radial ad-- wardly extending armattached to said memher and radiallyv adjustable about its point ofattachment for action on the abstract.

3. In "a player-piano, the combination with a striker pneumatic and apiano-action 7 including an abstract, of an operative connection betweensaid parts comprising an arm fulcrumed in a fixed, support, arigidelement connecting the rear end of the arm with the pneumatic, aco-acting member disposed under the forward end of said arm andpivotally secured thereto, a radially adjustable arm carried by saidmember and acting upon the abstract, and means for vertically adjustingsaid last-mentioned arm.

4:. In a player-piano, the combination with a striker pneumatic and apiano-action including an abstract, of an operative connection betweensaid parts comprising an arm fulcrumed in a fixed support, a rodconnecting an end of the arm with the pneumatic, a co -acting memberdisposed under the opposite end of said arm and pivotally attachedthereto, a second arm fastened to said member for radial adjustmentthereto and acting on the abstract, a regulating screw threaded throughthe rear end of the first-mentioned arm and extending downwardly toengage the too-acting member, and an expanding spring between thelast-mentioned parts. i I

, 5. In a player-piano, the combination with a striker pneumatic and apiano-action including an abstract, of an operative connection betweensaid parts comprising a fixed support having a slot, an arm pivotallycarried by the support, a rod connecting the arm with the pneumatic tomove in unison therewith, a vfinger projecting upwardly from the armthrough the slot, a regulating screw; extending rearwardly through thefront portion of the support in position to limit the movement of thefinger, a pivoted member co-acting with said arm, and a radiallyadjustable arm secured to said member and acting on the abstract.

i 6. In a player-piano, the combination with a series of strike-rpneumatics and a piano-action including a series of spaced abstracts, ofoperative connections betweensaid parts comprising a series of compoundlevers attached to. a fixed support, each lever having a memberconnected to a pneumatic, an intermediate'member hinged thereto, and athird member pivoted at one end to the intermediatemember and bearing atits opposite end on an abstract, the last-mentioned member beingadjustable to conform to the spacing of the abstracts.

' JOSEPH P. HULDEB.

